1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for setting attributes to character strings and graphic objects. More particularly, the present invention relates to an attribute setting apparatus which permits repeated use of the same attributes for a plurality of objects in a document in a simple and reliable manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
With word processing applications running on a computer, one can add various visual effects (e.g., font, style, color, size, underline) to characters that he/she has entered through a keyboard. Typically, such formatting options are specified through the following steps: (1) selecting specific part of entered character strings to which the user wishes to set his/her desired character attributes, (2) choosing an attribute type from a menu, and (3) selecting or typing a desired option value(s). As another method to obtain the same results, the user may find and select an existing character string where the desired attributes are present, and then copy and paste the character attributes, together with the selected character string.
When writing a document, the user often encounters such a situation where he/she needs to repeat the same attribute that was once used at some other part of the text. Conventional systems are inconvenient in this situation, since he/she has to select again the same menu item and enter option values. As the applications are revised to introduce more sophisticated functions, an increasing number of attributes and options become available. However, the outward appearance of a character string may not always tell the user what attribute parameters are being specified there. This means that it is hard for the user to identify exact attribute types and values from the appearance of text, and thus the user feels it burdensome to select correct menu items to specify the same attributes.
An alternative method for repetitive use of the same attributes is to copy the desired attribute from an existing object. Although this method is advantageous in that the user can set the same attribute without the need to know exact values of attribute parameters, it is still inconvenient in the case that the replicated attributes include some unnecessary ones. Since attributes cannot always be identified from appearance, as mentioned above, it is not easy for the user to remove unnecessary attributes selectively.
The above problems in repeated use of character attributes would also apply to handling of graphic objects. Figures such as rectangles and circles may have different appearances, depending on some attribute parameters that define line styles, line thickness, fill patterns, etc. The user feels it difficult to set the same attributes to graphic objects, as in the case of character strings.
Taking the above into consideration, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a computer program for setting the same attributes to a plurality of character strings and/or graphic objects in a simple and reliable manner.
To accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an attribute setting apparatus for setting desired attributes to objects in a document. This apparatus has a storage area, as part of a document file or as a separate history file, for storing history records of attribute patterns that the user has set to the existing objects. Each attribute pattern is composed of an attribute type and attribute option values. Upon request from the user, a display unit shows a list of attribute patterns stored as history records in the storage area, allowing the user to choose a desired attribute pattern from the list. An attribute setting unit applies the attribute pattern chosen by the user to a newly entered object or one of the existing objects that is selected in advance by the user. This processing mechanism of the attribute setting apparatus is actually implemented as software functions of a computer system and encoded in a computer program. For distribution to users, the program is stored in a computer-readable storage medium.